Morocco’s Ouahbi keeps Aguerd in plans despite reported Amrabat and El Kaabi exits

Nayef Aguerd remains part of Mohamed Ouahbi’s plans for Morocco, despite the defender’s recent injury problems and uncertainty at club level, while Sofyan Amrabat and Ayoub El Kaabi are reportedly set to miss the squad for September’s fixtures against Gabon and Lesotho.

According to the Moroccan newspaper Assabah, the pair are expected to be left out as Morocco begin their qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Their potential omission would represent another significant step in the generational transition Ouahbi has been gradually implementing since taking charge of the national team.

The Morocco manager is understood to want to give more opportunities to young players who impressed under his leadership with Morocco Under-20s at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

The long-term objective is to build a squad capable of competing through to the 2030 World Cup. At the 2025 tournament, only Gessime Yassine had been promoted into the senior set-up from that group, but Yassir Zabiri and Othmane Maamma could now follow.

The reported departures of Amrabat, 29, and El Kaabi, 33, would add them to a list of established players already absent from Morocco’s 2026 World Cup squad, including Youssef En-Nesyri and Jawad El Yamiq.

Amrabat was a key member of Walid Regragui’s Morocco side, particularly during their run at the 2022 World Cup. However, he has gradually lost ground over the past two years to midfielders viewed as more technically refined.

He played in three matches at the World Cup, starting against Haiti and coming on against Canada and France. The midfielder is reported to have reacted badly to the way he was treated by the coach.

That frustration has been compounded by his current club situation, with Amrabat reportedly unwanted at Fenerbahce. Those circumstances appear to have damaged his prospects of retaining his place in the national team.

El Kaabi’s situation is less about a decline in his overall output. The Casablanca-born striker has scored 23 goals in 60 international appearances and had become a regular starter under Regragui, with Youssef En-Nesyri often dropping to the bench.

However, his role as a specialist “goal hunter” appears less suited to the tactical approach preferred by Ouahbi. The coach reportedly favours Ismael Saibari as a false nine, allowing him to drop deeper while still committing defenders.

That system appears to be producing the desired results, leaving El Kaabi facing the prospect of being left out.

Ouahbi is not, however, expected to discard Morocco’s older generation wholesale. The intended approach is reportedly to retain players who remain sufficiently effective and competitive, regardless of their age.

Aguerd is therefore still considered an important part of the manager’s plans. Although physical problems kept him out of the 2026 World Cup and his club situation has been unsettled in recent weeks, the central defender continues to hold a significant position in Morocco’s hierarchy.

His experience and contribution to the balance of the defence remain highly valued.

Other established players, including Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Hamza Igamane, Ilias Akhomach and Eliesse Ben Seghir, are also understood to remain under consideration. Ezzalzouli and Igamane were unavailable for the 2026 World Cup, while all four will need to regain their best physical and sporting form.

Morocco’s next squad announcement could therefore mark another important stage in Ouahbi’s reshaping of the Lions of the Atlas.